PDF - SJI International

29 July 2016 SJI International Newsletter
Term 2 - Issue 1
Message from the Principal
Dear Parents
Welcome back after the June/July holiday. I hope that you have had an opportunity to spend some
valuable time with your children. I was blessed to travel to The Netherlands, Germany (where I
attended a Seminar for International School Heads focused on Global Citizenship), and England. After
almost a month of living out of suitcases, it is good to be home.
This week’s newsletter includes an introduction on our newly arrived teachers. I know I speak for the
entire community when I extend to them our best wishes. This week’s newsletter includes several
items from the end of Term 1, as well as items about activities that took place over the break. I would
especially like to THANK those teachers who gave up their valuable holiday time to support these
student activities.
This week’s newsletter includes the following: an introduction to our New Teachers; a message from
the High School Counsellor; feedback about the Alumni Reunion which took place this past
Saturday, which saw almost 100 former students and staff visit our school; information about our
Learning Vision journey; exciting news about our students’ participation and achievement in the
Global Round of the World Scholar’s Cup (held in Bangkok), including Alessandra Lim who achieved
1st place in the Junior Division; news about the Lasallian Leadership Training Camp, which took
place over the holiday; and exciting news about the sporting achievements of various students and
teams.
This week’s newsletter also includes important notification of the following upcoming events: an
advertisement for our SJI International Branded Merchandise; two upcoming PSG events (The PSG
Open Meeting at 19:00 hrs on Tuesday 16 August and advance warning about the Teacher
Appreciation Lunch on 2 September); and the Important Dates pages (giving you a heads-up about
the important events happening in Term 2 - this is a weekly item at the end of each newsletter).
New Drop-Off Area for High School
I would like to say a big THANK YOU to all our parents who have supported the school in making the
new Pick-Up and Drop-Off area work. Your assistance in this matter has been outstanding. From this
coming Monday morning, no High School students will be allowed to alight at the main school foyer.
Instead, all drop-off and collection (during peak morning and afternoon times) happens at the new
Toa Payoh West Road area. The email containing this week’s newsletter link also contains an updated
letter concerning the new area.
The coming week sees the Elementary School re-open. We will be monitoring the traffic situation very
carefully to ensure the most efficient traffic flow. Again, thank you for your support and cooperation.
Internal Examinations for Grade 10 and 12
Parents of Grade 10 students will be aware that Grade 10 students are now half-way through their
two week IGCSE Mock Examinations. Grade 12 will be writing their IB Diploma Mock Examinations
immediately after the Grade 10 examinations finish.
Click on the link to read:
Brother Larry’s Lasallian Reflection
Click on the link to read:
Upcoming Events and Important Dates
*

Grade 10 IGCSE Internal Mock Examinations take place from Monday, 25 July, to Friday, 5
August.
Grade 12 IB Diploma Internal Mock Examinations take place from Monday, 8 August, to
Friday, 19 August.

Best wishes to all students as they prepare for these very important examinations.
The Importance of International Schools
You will all be aware of the numerous tragic events that have unfolded around the world recently. In
many ways, this has been a dark time for our world. The reaction in many places has been to move
back to a system of isolation and exclusion - Brexit is an extreme manifestation of this (although there
are other factors involved in this too). In the USA, Donald Trump continues to be a real contender as
the next President - a scary thought for many around the world. All over Europe (and beyond),
islamophobia is impacting the lives of millions, as people seek to identify the threat - wrongly blaming
a whole religion based on the acts of those who commit atrocities. The importance schools such as
ours, which have at their core a drive to develop caring and globally aware citizens, becomes even
more important. I encourage you to speak to your children about these issues. It was thus very
appropriate that this year's Racial Harmony Day took place this past Wednesday. Racial Harmony Day
encourages our students to understand, appreciate and celebrate both their own and others’
cultures and backgrounds. This is strongly aligned with our School Values of Internationalism.
Grade 8 IGCSE Options Process
Grade 8 students will be selecting their IGCSE subjects in the coming weeks. To assist parents in this
process we have two important upcoming events:
Grade 8 Parent Information Evening: takes place this coming Thursday, 4 August, in the Glass Hall,
from 18:30 to 20:00 hrs. This evening is designed to give parents a better understanding of the
various choices available. It is strongly suggested that all Grade 8 parents attend this session.
Grade 8 Parent/Teacher Conference: takes place on Wednesday, 10 August, in the Assembly Hall,
from 16:00 to 20:00 hrs. This is a final opportunity to speak to individual subject teachers before the
final subject selections are confirmed.
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CCA Programme and Sign-Up
The Sign-Up for Term 2 CCAs is now underway, with over 500 students already completing the online
sign-up. For Free Activities, students are required to complete the online sign-up by 15:00 hrs on
Sunday. For Paid Activities, students must bring payment to the Admin Office (located on the 2nd
floor directly above the High School main office). All payments must be made by the end of next
week. Full details about this process have been sent to all parents. The details have also been posted
on Teamie, for all students to see.
Catholic Charity Drive
The Archdiocesan Commission for Catholic Schools (ACCS) works with Catholic schools to strengthen
the Catholic ethos in their communities, and support the religious, civic and moral education these
schools provide. Earlier this week we received a request to publicise the upcoming Charity Premiere
fundraising event to be held on 7 September 2016, in conjunction with the launch of the 2nd edition
of the Cana Film Fest. This is an initiative by volunteers of CANA the Catholic Centre. Please CLICK
HERE to see more details about this event.
Term 2 is already set to be another exciting term! Welcome back and have a great coming week.
Yours sincerely
Bradley Roberts
Principal High School
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New Staff
Bro Kenneth Martinez, FSC D.Min
Bro Kenneth Martinez, FSC is a member of the De La Salle Brothers, Philippine
sector. Born and raised in Manila, he is an alumnus of La Salle Greenhills and
entered the Brothers at the end of his university studies at the University of the
Philippines. Although a pharmacist by early training, Bro Kenneth’s work in the
different La Salle schools in the Philippines involved campus ministry (faith
formation of staff and students, retreat and recollection giving) and teaching
religion in La Salle Greenhills, University of St. La Salle, De La Salle College of St Benilde and La Salle
Academy.
His last assignment was in school administration in De La Salle Lipa, an integrated basic education
with an extensive college programme in one campus. Broken as he is fondly called by his students
and friends, enjoys swimming, snorkelling, exploring art and musical experiences and he looks
forward to enjoying the varied gustatory delights of Singapore.
Cara Love - Leaning Support Teacher
Cara is from the U.K and graduated with a BA(HONS) in Creative Arts, before
undertaking a postgraduate qualification in education. Over the past few years,
Cara has spent time working as both an arts and nurture teacher, in an
independent special needs school run by Action for Children, a leading children’s
charity in the UK. Her role comprised of teaching and supporting young people
aged 6-19 years old with emotional, social and behavioural difficulties,
challenging behaviour and Autistic Spectrum Disorders.
Cara enjoys working with people in the community through volunteering work, attending arts and
cultural events, practising yoga and travelling as much as possible with her husband.
Andrew Skipper - Teacher of Mathematics
Andrew started his working career as an Automotive Engineer in the
Australian Defence Force where he worked for 12 years. During this time he
served with the United Nations in Cambodia and was also deployed to
Bougainville Island. Andrew then completed a Bachelor of Technology
(Mechanical) at Queensland University of Technology and went to work as a
Mechanical Design Engineer in England.
After a short time, Andrew began to pursue his love of Rugby Union. He
took a role as Director of Rugby at St Joseph's College, Ipswich, UK. Andrew
went on to work for England Rugby, developing the coaches and players within England
Women's Rugby. After completing a post graduate teaching degree Andrew took various teaching
roles, most recently as Head of Maths at a Catholic school in Queensland.
Andrew joins his wife and two young children in Singapore. He enjoys running, has a passion for
travelling and still has a love of Rugby Union.
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New Staff
Winson Coe - Learning Support Teacher
After enlisting in the Australian Defence Force, Winson graduated from the
University of Queensland with a Bachelor or Arts/Bachelor of Education
degree. During this time she also developed a keen interest in rugby and
enjoyed playing at representative level. Winson then spent several years
working as a primary and secondary teacher in England. She went on to
pursue her interest in teaching English as a Second Language in Spain where
she worked as an English Teacher in Andalucia. Winson has also enjoyed time
working in Learning Support and has recently completed her Masters in
Education (TESOL).
Winson has recently moved to Singapore from Australia with her husband and two young
children. She keeps herself busy by exploring and hanging out with her young children and enjoys
travelling whenever possible.
John Yates - Teacher of Economics and Business Studies
John started out as an accountant but moved into education. He first taught
accountancy in Nairobi. He then moved back to the UK for 5 years, teaching
Economics and Business in North Yorkshire. He moved abroad again in 2003,
teaching in Brunei. This was followed by a short stint in China followed by 5
years in Indonesia as head of Commerce Department at Global Jaya School.
John has been coming to Singapore since 2003 for the Standard Chartered
marathon and regularly since then for other running events. He also has a passion for the marine
life, having dived many exotic locations in South East Asia.
These days, he greatly enjoys reading about economics and business and has recently taken up
surfing and skateboarding. He hopes to complete his third Singapore marathon this year.
Jodi Sprung-Boyd - Teacher of Drama
Jodi hails from cold and beautiful Montreal, Canada. She holds a BFA in
Theatre for Human Development from Concordia University, a BEd in
Secondary Drama and English from OISE at the University of Toronto. and an
MFA in Theatre Directing from the University of Ottawa. Jodi and her
boyfriend Dylan worked at the Canadian International School in Singapore
from 2006-2008 and she is delighted to be returning to the country with her
husband Dylan (the same one!) and their 16 month old son, River. Jodi has
also lived in Tanzania, and most recently Ecuador.
Jodi loves exploring the outdoors whether it be hiking, cycling, swimming or horseback riding. She
enjoys cooking, eating, weight lifting and rolling around in the grass with her family.
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Christie Dyer - Teacher of Science
Christie is from Canada and graduated from McGill University and the University
of Ottawa where she studied Science and Education. For the past ten years she
has taught science throughout the high school grades and IB geography. Christie
has taught in bilingual and international schools in Canada, Turkey and
Guyana. She loves to explore nature and enjoys snorkelling, diving and
cycling. She looks forward to exploring the parks in Singapore and Southeast
Asia.
Bego Mesa - Teacher of Spanish
Bego is from the Canary Islands, Spain. She has taught Spanish and ToK in
international schools in India, Tanzania and Cambodia. She has recently
completed her Masters in Teaching Spanish.
Bego loves travelling and outdoor activities. She also enjoys tasting new food and
is excited about the food culture in Singapore. She has come to Singapore with
her husband, also an educator, and their little dog Meru. She is looking forward to being part of the
SJI International community.
Angela Gravina - Teacher of English
Angela Gravina has completed a BA, MEd and DEd. She is an experienced
and enthusiastic teacher who has taught in local and international schools.
Angela has researched students' perspectives on learning and the
implementation of curriculum. She also has a passion for choral singing.
Aidan Crowley - University Counsellor
Aidan joins SJI International from the British International School Ho Chi
Minh City where he was Head of College & University Guidance. Prior to
this Aidan was Head of IB Welfare and Guidance at the British School
Manila and in total he has worked in international education for 14 years.
In both BISHCMC and BSM Aidan was responsible for implementing
comprehensive guidance programmes and has helped students gain admission to universities all over the world. Aidan has also implemented
teacher training programmes for effective recommendation writing and
has presented on the same topic at the Global University Counsellor
Connect conference held at SJI International. He will also be presenting at
the CIS-EARCOS forum in October.
In his spare time Aidan enjoys attending live sports events, dance and acrobatic theatre
performances and amateur photography. Aidan is looking forward to working with the students and
the SJI International community.
6
During the group sessions for parents in April, I shared about the movie Men, Women & Children, which
aims to increase our awareness and understanding about the issues affecting teenagers and families due
to the use of digital devices and the Internet. We followed up with movie sessions attended by a total of
about 60 parents on 5 and 15 June. Although the sessions were quite social in nature and parents brought
in food and desserts to share, we had several discussion questions to reflect on about the themes
highlighted in the movie.
In the movie, a couple’s marriage was threatened as they became more and more disconnected due to
their engagement on their devices instead of turning to each other for connection. Parents are reminded
to take time and effort to regularly work on maintaining a strong and healthy marriage, in order to have
the emotional capacity to attend to their children. One of the mothers employed extreme measures to
control and track her daughter’s use of the internet. Their interaction became very clinical, laced with
mistrust, thus creating a lot of tension in the mother-daughter relationship. We have to reflect on how we
can exercise moderation and balance, and apply age-appropriate approaches, so that our teenagers are
able to grow and develop into sensible, responsible and well-adjusted adults. There was another mother
who strived to be her daughter’s friend and lived her dreams through her daughter. We questioned the
values that the mother was attempting to impart and how her daughter disregarded her mother’s bid to
enforce limits when the situation required her to do so.
If you would like to join our conversations, do consider signing up for the group sessions for parents at
http://tinyurl.com/SJII-mothers or http://tinyurl.com/SJII-fathers.
Movie afternoon, Sunday 5 June @ D’Leedon
Movie night on Wednesday 15 June @ Glass Hall
Michelle Koay, High School Counsellor, [email protected]
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2016 Alumni Reunion
“When we recall the past, we usually find that it is the simplest things – not the great occasions – that
in retrospect give off the greatest glow of happiness.” (Bob Hope)
It was an evening that celebrated old (and new) friendships and golden memories gone by. The 2016 Alumni
Reunion, which took place in the IB Lounge on Saturday, 23 July, saw nearly 100 former students and staff
reconnect as they chatted the evening away with good food and great
company.
Once again, the President of the SJI International Alumni Association,
Ian Chai (Class of 2009), made his keynote address and talked about
the importance of keeping the alumni community close. He warmed
the room with witty anecdotes of his school days, cracking the room
up with memories which he still keeps close to his heart. The stage
was then handed over to Brother Larry, who led the room with an
Opening Prayer.
There was no shortage of banter and stories afterwards, with
attendees spanning the Class of 2009 all the way to 2015 intermingling
with one another as they took turns recalling their days on campus
and bringing one another up to speed on their careers and adventures
since they last spoke.
It was an evening filled with nostalgia for the past as well as promises
for a more cohesive future. There was lively discussion on how
opportunities could be created for more frequent alumni gatherings,
as well as the possibility of events allowing for greater interaction with
current students.
Seeing the past, present, and future come together at the
Alumni Reunion was a powerful affirmation that friendships
forged at SJI International are truly for a lifetime. Thank you
to all alumni and teachers who came back to join us for this
event – we had a record-breaking attendance and definitely
look forward to seeing you again next year!
8
SJI International triumphs at the
World Scholar’s Cup Global Round in Bangkok
26 June marked the date when the experience and the journey of a lifetime began for 32 SJI International
students at the 2016 Global Round for World Scholar’s Cup. The World Scholar’s Cup is a programme that
encourages students from all over the world to come together to explore and analyse a few of the issues
concerning our world today. This curriculum is used in four main competitions - The Scholar’s Challenge,
Team Debates, Collaborative Writing and the Scholar’s Bowl. The overall theme of this year’s Scholar’s
Cup is “An Imperfect World”, a theme that applies to our world today. Within that theme, scholars study
several interconnected topics such as Science, Social Studies, The Arts, Literature, History and a Special
Area. This programme has not only taught us that learning can be fun and not a chore but it has also encouraged us to interact with people from different countries, helping us to learn about their diverse cultures while at the same time building a global community.
Aside from that, scholars had the opportunity to relieve themselves from the stress and pressure of
ongoing studying: from the Scholar’s Scavenge where they scavenged around Bangkok all the while
getting to know people from around the world, to dancing the night away in formal get-ups at the
Scholar’s Ball. I can safely say that this 7-day adventure has not only brought the SJI International scholars
together as a team but also as a family. On the whole, SJI International performed marvellously with over
100 awards. Alessandra Lim came in first place out of the entire world, beating over 1600 Junior scholars
to win the overall best scholar, and her team with Tara Kripalani and Kyle Lim came fifth in the Junior
Division. Later in the year selected teams will be participating in the Tournament of Champions at one of
the most prestigious Ivy League schools, Yale University. This journey has truly been magical.
Tasmiah Mahmud 8BWo
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Learning Vision for the Future - Focus Group Invitation
Over the last semester, we worked with our stakeholder groups to produce our Learning Vision. The
Vision below will now be used to focus our research in key areas. We would like to encourage parents to
continue to contribute to this very important and exciting process of shaping our school’s future direction.
Our Learning Vision...
Remaining true to its holistic mission, SJI International is known throughout the world as an
institution which encourages excellent learning through……
Continuing to develop people for others with humility and a sense of social
responsibility, through inspiring a genuine desire to engage with, and lead, service
for the benefit of all. Further developing the programme to enhance students’ ability
to feel confident and make principled decisions in their lives
Valuing positive relationships based on mutual respect and empathy between all
members of the community. Building a culture of care; developing long lasting
relationships between balanced, fulfilled people who flourish in our community
Offering a holistic programme with a breadth of choices, to enable students to cultivate
passions and develop leadership through experiences that challenge them to be
courageous and develop in character
Building flexible, dynamic and environmentally sustainable school facilities that support
and encourage learning
Offering a broad, flexible, personalised and authentic curriculum which develops skills
for learning and for life (including technological and financial literacy), through
opportunities that ignite curiosity; stimulating creativity, problem solving and
collaboration
Continuing to encourage Internationalism by developing a diverse community of people
who are culturally, socially and environmentally aware, and who will act to make a
difference to their local and global communities
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The next stage in the process is the formation of six focus groups to consider the following questions, and carry out
appropriate research and fact-finding activities, which will culminate in clear recommendations for realising our
Learning Vision.
Focus Group 1
How do we develop people for others with humility and a sense of social responsibility who have a genuine
desire to engage with and lead service for the benefit of all?
How do we further develop the school programme to enhance students’ abilities to feel confident making
principled decisions in their lives?
Focus Group 2
How do we ensure that we value positive relationships based on mutual respect and empathy between all
members of the community?
How do we build a culture of care, developing long lasting relationships between balanced, fulfilled people
who flourish in our community?
Focus Group 3
What sort of holistic programme should we offer that has a breadth of choice, enabling students to cultivate
passions and develop leadership through experiences which challenge them to be courageous and develop
in character?
Focus Group 4
What sorts of facilities are flexible, dynamic, and environmentally sustainable, and support and encourage
learning?
Focus Group 5
How do we build a broad, flexible, personalised and authentic curriculum that develops skills for learning
and for life (including technological and financial literacy)?
How do we create opportunities that ignite curiosity and stimulate creativity, problem solving and
collaboration?
Focus Group 6
How do we develop a diverse community which is culturally, socially and environmentally aware who will
act to make a difference to their local and global communities?
Focus groups will comprise a mix of staff, students and parents. We would like to invite parents with an interest in
any of these focus group areas, and who can commit to attending the focus group meetings below, to contact
Michelle Aw ([email protected]) by Thursday 4 August, indicating which focus group you would
be interested in joining.
Focus Group meeting dates (all meetings will run from 3.15pm to 4.45pm):
Monday 8 August
Monday 29 August
Monday 26 September
Monday 10 October
Monday 31 October
Harnessing your thoughts, ideas and expertise is an
integral part of the process and we warmly encourage
you to participate. We realise that your time is valuable
and so we thank you in advance for your interest in
being part of this exciting project.
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Lasallian Leadership Training Camp A 2016 - 18 - 21 June
In the first week of the summer break, a group of Grade 9s headed to St Joseph’s Institution in Bishan to
attend the LLTC . Over 4 days we met new people, attempted challenges that many of us would never
have dreamed of trying and learned many valuable things.
The first day began with a 4km walk; we got to know our team mates,
and a spirit of camaraderie and friendship was fostered as we worked
together, trying not to get lost. Our first few sessions were conducted in
the familiar environment of our own school as we took our first steps
towards learning how to be good leaders. Strong voices shook the Glass
Hall as everyone sang the school rally and We are Lasallian to kick off the
camp. In subsequent days, we attended various activities and talks which
made us get to know Camp members in a better way and learn new
things.
I think for many of us the most meaningful activity was the service work
we did on the third day. None of us were strangers to service work,
having been out on service trips with our school every week but for
many of us it was the first time we felt like we were having a direct
impact on someone’s life for the better. I was granted the opportunity to
help clean and paint a single-bedroom HDB flat. I was also fortunate
enough to meet the elderly woman staying there and she thanked us
profusely for coming to help. We began chatting with her while we
worked; as we learnt more about her life and situation, it’s safe to say
that we all felt extremely happy to have been able to help make even
the slightest difference. I think one lesson that we all took away that day
was that while we may strive to help the less fortunate in one way or
another, we definitely get a lot out of it as well.
As the Camp drew to a close, we all began to put together our
personal mission statements. At the closing ceremony, we worked with
our groups one last time as we shared these statements with each other.
At the end of the day, tired as we were, we all felt a glow of pride
as we received our badges, becoming Lasallian leaders and singing
We are Lasallian one last time.
Tara Kripalani G9SDL
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Meritorious Sports Boy Award
Ryan Ong of 11BCh received the Meritorious Sports Boy
Award (Individual) at the 2016 Singapore Sports Awards
held at the Raffles City Convention Centre on 23 June. The
awards, introduced by the Singapore National Olympic
Council, are to recognise and honour the achievements of
Singapore’s athletes.
As a national fencer, Ryan’s breakthrough performances at
the Commonwealth Cadet Fencing Championships where
he won gold, and a top eighth place at the World
Championships, led to his nomination. He was one of 19
athletes across all sports in Singapore to receive the award
at the ceremony officiated by Mr Tan Chuan-Jin, Minister
for Social and Family Development and President of the
Singapore National Olympic Council.
Bronze for Tennis in the 8th
Asean School Games
Joelle Goh of G8ASk played for Team Singapore (Tennis) in the
8th Asean School Games 2016, held in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Despite losing to the stronger and more experienced Thai and
Indonesian teams, the girls persevered to beat Malaysia,
thereby clinching the bronze medal.
Joelle enjoyed her experience, bringing home warm memories
of sporting friends from the different countries and having
shared similar stories of juggling competition and studies!
Gold At The 50th National School Games
Judo Championship
Henri Forichon of G8ASk participated in the 50th National Schools Judo
Tournament held at Hougang Secondary School on 25-26 July. Henri
clinched the gold medal in the Featherweight category after 5 bouts,
defeating players from Hougang Secondary School, St Gabriel's
Secondary School, Raffles Institution and Hwa Chong Institution.
Henri has been playing Judo for 10 months, training intensively 5 times a
week and participating in competitions whenever he is able to.
Henri Forichon with his sister
Tania, 2015 Sea Games Judo Bronze Medalist
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Singapore Youth Olympic Festival 2016 (Fencing)
Over the recent school holidays, SJI International students participated in the Singapore Youth Olympic
Festival (SYOF) 2016 that featured fencing for the first time. The SYOF 2016 Fencing Festival was
organised by the Singapore Olympic Foundation and Fencing Singapore. It was a unique event and
experience for those taking part; for the first time we have a youth fencing competition run by youth, for
youth, in Singapore.
Justine Yang of G8RPu attended and passed her Refereeing course, which then allowed her to make
her debut as a Competition Referee (Probation). Justine also participated in the Women’s Epee
Individual competition where she emerged victorious as the Champion, bagging both the Gold Medal
and a bundle of ‘goodies’.
Joining her was Jared Foo of G8BWo, one of the newest member to the SJI International team. Jared
fought gallantly to secure a third placing (Bronze) in the Men’s Foil Individual competition.
Yau Jun Sheng of G8BWo signed up for both the Competition Manager (Directoire Technique, DT) and
Armourer (for Weapon Control & Scoring Systems) programmes. Joining Jun Sheng to help run this SYOF
2016 Fencing Festival was Yau Han Xiang G12LMc, a Category D Referee for Fencing Singapore.
14
2016 Inter-School Figure & Short Track
Speed Skating Competition
Alessandra Lim of 9JSb achieved First Place in her singles-skating
category of Core 2 (over 8) in the Singapore Inter-School Ice-Skating
Competition.
The competition, which was organised by the Singapore Ice-Skating
Association, took place on 26 July and was held in JCube at The Rink.
ACSIS Season 3 Badminton Results
U19 Boys Badminton D1 - Bronze
Ian Hadinoto - 12EOx
Andreas Egold - 9SDL
Justin Hadinoto - 9JSB
Athens Kann - 12SMc
Gabriel Kan - 9STa
Gareth Tan - 11GWK
Ze Peng Long - 9RBe
Alistar S Klyde - 9SDL
Vivek Palaniappan - 12SMc
U19 Boys Badminton D3 - Bronze
Daniel Abraham - 10ATe
Cameron Foo - 10CIr
Desmond Loh - 10CIr
William Koesomemo - 9CDy
John Tan - 9NJa
Jing Zhong Tan - 9SDL
Intat Kongatanakul - 9JSB
Timothy Khoo - 10ITh
Yu Cheng Xuan - 11BCh
Raphael Setiawan - 9CDy
Glenn Kam - 9NJa
U19 Girls Badminton D2 - Silver
Apurva Kulkarni - 9CDy
Jillian Ee - 9RBe
Serena Tang - 10KUP
Jaslynn Ho - 12GYR
Megan Sim - 11NGh
Maria Santhosh - 11NGh
Natania Tan - 9STa
Tiffany Thamrum - 9STa
Tan Yock Kim - 11GTh
Nicolette Wong - 9NJa
Chloe Chim - 9SDL
Maegan Yap Rui Shan - 11NGh
Renee Lim - 9RBe
Anokhi Haria - 11GTh
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SJI International Branded Merchandise
The newest and fluffiest addition to the school’s set of merchandise is here to greet you wearing
his own SJI International uniform!
Grab your SJI International Teddy Bear for just $25,
and experience fluff - the SJI International way.
Lots of other items are also available – so head on
down to the ACO and…
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PSG Notices
A warm welcome back to all families and hope the summer break provided a good rest and catch up
time for everyone.
Open Meeting of parents and school leadership - 16 August (Tues), 7pm @ Glass Hall
This will be our third meeting of the year and we hope to see many parents attend the session to share
feedback and engage the school leadership on matters/issues that you may have. If you are unable to
attend, you can drop us your query on our email at [email protected], or write to your
Grade Reps to raise your query on your behalf.
For those interested in the idea of growing herbs/food in a cup - ideal for our urban city - we are
excited to inform that we have engaged a speaker on this topic who will give an interesting talk,
followed by a demonstration of how to :
- grow herbs in a limited space
- setting up suspended herb racks
- recycling bottles and composting
- making organic pesticides
- making self-watering pots
- propagating via stem cuttings
just to name a few! Everyone goes home with a "herb in a cup" kit!
PSG will be paying for the above as well as catering a light dinner, so RSVP is a MUST by 10 August. Please
click REGISTER HERE to confirm your attendance.
2 September (Fri), 1.30pm @ Assembly Hall - Teachers’ Appreciation Day
This annual event hosted by PSG celebrates the contributions of our teachers and staff, where we
provide a buffet lunch and typically hold a lucky draw for teachers from all the wonderful gifts and
donations from parents. We greatly appreciate any contributions whether by way of helping out at the
event, donations of cash or gift, or a baked item towards the dessert table. Most appropriate gifts are
vouchers, wines or any sort of lifestyle experience (eg dining, spa or events). We are happy to take
contributions from August onwards and these can be left at reception marked "For Teachers’ Day".
If you would like to be part of the team that organises this year's event and be assured of a fabulous
time, please click on this link to register your interest of help.
Sarah and the PSG Team
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Lasallian Reflection
Lasallian Reflection
Br Lawrence Humphrey, FSC
“. . . if you walk the footsteps of a stranger you’ll learn things you never knew, you never
knew.”
On Wednesday, the SJI International High School community observed Racial Harmony Day (we
were still on holiday on 21 July, the official Racial Harmony Day in Singapore). In some ways it is
regrettable that the organisers of the assembly didn’t have to look far for examples of discord
and intolerance which point to the importance of
Colours of the Wind
the day.
You think you own whatever land you land on
The earth is just a dead thing you can claim
But I know every rock and tree and creature
Has a life, has a spirit, has a name
You think the only people who are people
Are the people who look and think like you
But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger
You'll learn things you never knew, you never knew
Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon
Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned?
Can you sing with all the voices of the mountain?
Can you paint with all the colours of the wind?
Can you paint with all the colours of the wind?
Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest
Come taste the sun-sweet berries of the earth
Come roll in all the riches all around you
And for once, never wonder what they're worth
At our assembly on Wednesday morning, three
students beautifully performed the song, Colours
of the Wind. You might be familiar with this tune
sung by Vanessa Williams in the film Pocahontas,
although everyone here would tell you that our
version was so much better! This song captured
for me the essence of the day. Because quite
honestly, considering all the events of recent
weeks, I sometimes feel at a loss as to how to help
ourstudents truly know the power of what it
means to say (sing) “. . . we are all connected to
each other, in a circle, in a hoop, that never ends”.
Over the five weeks of our summer holiday, the
world was shocked time and again by horrible acts
of hatred and terror inflicted on scores of
The rainstorm and the river are my brothers
innocent people across the globe – including but
The heron and the otter are my friends
not limited to Bangladesh, France, Turkey, Iraq,
And we are all connected to each other,
In a circle, in a hoop that never ends
South Sudan, Somalia, the United States, Mali,
Germany, Niger, Syria, and Afghanistan. In the
Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon
face of such madness, how do we teach our young
Or let the eagle tell you where he's been
people our values of Mutual Respect and
Can you sing with all the voices of the mountain?
Internationalism, and the Virtues of Justice,
Can you paint with all the colours of the wind
Can you paint with all the colours of the wind
Tolerance, and Understanding, which underpin
the Lasallian Core Principles of Respect for All
How high does the sycamore grow?
Persons in an Inclusive Community? On the other
If you cut it down, then you'll never know
hand, it could be said that the world scene points
And you'll never hear the wolf cry to the blue corn moon all the more to the importance of schools like SJI
For whether we are white or copper-skinned
International.
We need to sing with all the voices of the mountain
Need to paint with all the colours of the wind
You can own the earth and still
All you'll own is earth until
You can paint with all the colours of the wind
Songwriters: Alan Menken, Stephen Laurence Schwartz
Our Racial Harmony Day assembly was a
celebration of our differences and the rich
diversity of our school family, with song, dance,
and reflections by our students.
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Lasallian Reflection
This week in Poland, where thousands are gathered for World Youth Day, Pope Francis expressed
‘pain and horror’ following recent events of ‘absolute madness’, as he also condemned ‘all forms
of hatred’’. How then do we respond to the call of a former president of France, who insists on a
‘merciless response’ to the events in Nice on Bastille Day, and the murder this week of Father
Jacques Hamel near Rouen? These are questions our High School students are considering as
they reflect on the significance of the Year of Mercy being observed this year by Catholics
worldwide.
Every morning, at the beginning of the school day, our Singaporean students and staff lead us in
a pledge to bring about a society based on justice and equality regardless of race, language or
religion. These words serve as a daily reminder to me, and hopefully to all of us, that racial
harmony and world peace are not to be considered lightly or taken for granted. May this vision
of the human family be realised not only here in Singapore but throughout the world.
This coming week, try walking the footsteps of a stranger. You may learn things you never knew!
19
SJI International - Important dates
Teamie Parent Calendar
I am pleased to report that all parents can now view important dates on the Parent Teamie calendar icon at
the top of the Parent Teamie page
This calendar will always be the most
up-to-date calendar for upcoming events.
All parents will receive an email, about one week before the PTC date. This email will include a link to
sign-up for the booking slots to see teachers.
Reporting Dates and Upcoming Examinations
Grade
Date
Grade 10 IGCSE
Internal Mock Examinations
Monday, 25 July, to Friday, 5 August
Grade 12 IB Diploma
Internal Mock Examinations
Monday, 8 August, to Friday, 19 August
Monday, 19 September, to Wednesday, 28
September
Monday, 26 September, to Thursday, 29
September
Grade 9 Internal Examinations
Grade 10 FIB Internal Examinations
Grade 11 Internal Examinations
Monday, 3 October to Wednesday, 12 October
Start of Final IGCSE Examinations
Wednesday, 12 October
Start of Final IB Diploma Examinations
Wednesday, 2 November
Please see the Examination lesson page in Teamie for dates and timetables of upcoming internal and
external examinations.
To find the examinations page please click in the
icon at the top of the page and
select any of the classrooms listed. Once this Classroom opens, please click on the Examination Icon (on left
-hand side of page) where you will find all the internal and external exam data.
20
Important Dates
Event
Date of Event
Venue
Time
G8 Parent information Evening
4 August (Thursday)
Glass Hall
18:30 - 20:00
National Day Holiday
9 August (Tuesday)
No School
G8 Parent Teacher Conference
10 August (Wednesday)
Assembly Hall
16:00
PSG Open Evening
16 August (Tuesday)
Glass Hall
19:00 - 21:00
G11 University Admissions
Evening
Local Scholarships Info Evening
23 August (Tuesday)
Assembly Hall
18:00
24 August (Wednesday)
IB Lounge
18:30 - 19:30
A Night at the Theatre
25 August (Thursday)
Assembly Hall
19:00 to 21:00
G12 Art Exhibition Opening
Evening
Teachers’ Day
29 August (Monday)
Assembly Hall
2 September (Friday)
Assembly Hall
School ends at 1.20pm
September Holiday
3 September (Saturday) to 12
September (Monday)
Netball Tour to Australia
3 September (Saturday)
Australia
School restarts at 8.05am
on Tuesday, 13th
September
Tour departs
G11 Biology Trip
Tioman Island
G7 Swim Gala
10 (Saturday) to 14
(Wednesday) September
19 (Monday) to 30 (Friday)
September
3 (Monday) to 12
(Wednesday) October
5 October (Wednesday)
Pool
During School
G8 Swim Gala
6 October (Thursday)
Pool
During School
Last School Day of the year for
Grade 10
Last School Day of the year for
Grade 12
G11 Challenge Week
7 October (Friday)
October Holiday
15th October (Saturday) to 23
October (Sunday)
Grade 9 Expedition
30 October (Sunday) to 4
November (Friday)
9 November (Wednesday) to
11 November (Friday)
13 November (Sunday) to 18
November (Friday)
20 November (Sunday) to 25
November (Friday)
26 November (Saturday)
G9 Internal Exams
G11 Internal Exams
Grade 7 Expedition
Grade 9 Geography Expedition
G10 and FIB Expedition
Grade 12
Graduation Ceremony
Final Day of School Year
14 October (Friday)
15 October (Saturday) to
22 October (Saturday)
2 December (Friday)
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Various places
School restarts at 8am on
Monday, 24th October
4 venues
tbc
Bintan
Vietnam
tbc
Chapel and
Sports Hall
9am to 2pm
School ends at 12.30pm